P&G upgrades palm oil policy after Greenpeace campaign

April 8, 2014 at 7:15 PM EST - Updated July 12 at 7:20 AM

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - Procter & Gamble Co. has committed to a new 'no deforestation' policy that will remove palm oil-related forest destruction from its products and provide full traceability for all the palm oil and derivatives it uses.

After weeks of public pressure and a protest at P&G's global headquarters, Greenpeace has welcomed the move as a huge step forward in protecting Indonesia's rainforests and the communities that depend on them, but warned that much work still remains.

"Greenpeace applauds P&G for making a much stronger commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil" said Joao Talocchi, Greenpeace Palm Oil Campaigner, "The important thing now is for P&G to push all its palm oil suppliers to live up to these standards and do this as quickly as possible, in order to make a real difference to the rainforests of Indonesia and the lives of people and tigers that depend on them."

In response, P&G has promised to take measures removing all deforestation from its palm oil supply chains by 2020.

The policy goes beyond existing criteria from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and requires the company's suppliers to guarantee there will be no conversion of peatland, that the rights of local communities will be respected and that high carbon stock and high conservation value areas will be protected.